It's probably worth noting that my wife is Catholic - though I am Baptist - and she loathes swear words of most kinds as well.

Intriguingly, some of the things I consider "not bad" are considered unfathomably rude by her family... and vice-verse (though she tends to be more strict than some of her elders in that regard). Some things we strictly agree on. Funny, that. :)

I didn't mean to imply that all catholics like to swear, but as far as my experience goes, most who dislike it don't do it for religious reasons ;-)

being bothered by the occasional swear word. Or even just "damn I almost I died". Is trying to hide behind fake innocence as far as I'm concerned.

Being bothered by profanity, is not necessarily trying to hide behind anything, let alone "innocence". The reasons for being bothered by it vary from individual to individual...

As for myself, since I am a Christian, I try not to be around it, as it is a habit from a time before I was a Christian that I sometimes struggle with; but I am not trying to claim innocence, I just don't like being around it. So yes, that does sometimes limit what I am or am not willing to do (like watch certain movies, listen to certain comedians, or being around certain people if they are absolutely unwilling to "watch their language" around me), but that's a conscious decision that I make, and I am perfectly willing to live with any consequences that may come from that decision (which isn't to say that I always like the potential consequences, it's just that I am willing to live and deal with any that may come up).

Today is one of those days that has really gotten me down. I just feel after fighting (again) with my mother over trivial crap that if I had a choice I wouldn't be the gay man I am. I am so sick of being yelled at by both my parents. I'm sick of the blind hatred of my step-father. I'm sick of all the hateful comments I see on any political news site I go to. Or even online movie reviews of all things. I'm sick of the awkwardness that inevitably happens when ever I meet someone new and they find out I'm gay. I'm sick of all the people who want denounce my marriage to my husband or think it's their business to comment on it. I just really tired of it all today. These days really suck.

*Hugs* I hope you will always find strength and happiness in abundance to fight off these days.

I second Shadowrun (the sourcebooks from former editions are still quite useful with the current incarnation). I also think the current Star Wars games by FFG do very good job at showing diversity in gender and enticity in their illustrations.

...finishing his facebook note with quite homophobic comment. No there was absolutely no reason for the brewery owner to comment on this... Except maybe wanting to present what a jerk he is, or to promote oneself on wave of homophobic hatred in relation to more famous name. Or both.

The farther along LGBT equality and acceptance seems to progress in society, the more vociferous and more insistent those opposed to it seem to get.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Sad but true, though I am afraid something like this is unavoidable - the farher along acceptance gets, the smaller the group of non accepting people gets. Those who simply hadn't given the issue much thought, those who simply rejected LGBT people/movement because of what they have been taught when they were younger get fewer. Some die off, some learn, some just shut up and let the matter go (as long as they don't see it, it doesn't exist...), so the hardcore haters make a bigger part of the opposition (and at the same time feel more threatened because the mainstream is slowly turning away from their views).

So, let us all hope that soon the only ones left on their side will be the vociferous and obnoxious ;-)

Won't everyone be surprised when that car causes the downfall of civilization? Poor guy was willing to fight for us... now there is no more hope... *pinches the last candle to extinguish the last point of light*

Hmmm... are you saying evil demons shaped as cars are being sold on the west coast? They should put THAT in the tourism guides.

Its probably more like car shaped demons being summoned in Bavarian car factories...

(1) Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority.

(2) The German people therefore acknowledge inviolable and inalienable human rights as the basis of every community, of peace and of justice in the world.

(3) The following basic rights shall bind the legislature, the executive, and the judiciary as directly applicable law.
Article 2 [Personal freedoms]

(1) Every person shall have the right to free development of his personality insofar as he does not violate the rights of others or offend against the constitutional order or the moral law.

(2) Every person shall have the right to life and physical integrity. Freedom of the person shall be inviolable. These rights may be interfered with only pursuant to a law.
Article 3 [Equality before the law]

(1) All persons shall be equal before the law.

(2) Men and women shall have equal rights. The state shall promote the actual implementation of equal rights for women and men and take steps to eliminate disadvantages that now exist.

(3) No person shall be favored or disfavored because of sex, parentage, race, language, homeland and origin, faith, or religious or political opinions. No person shall be disfavored because of disability.
Article 4 [Freedom of faith, conscience, and creed]

(1) Freedom of faith and of conscience, and freedom to profess a religious or philosophical creed, shall be inviolable.

(2) The undisturbed practice of religion shall be guaranteed.

(3) No person shall be compelled against his conscience to render military service involving the use of arms. Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
Article 5 [Freedom of expression]

(1) Every person shall have the right freely to express and disseminate his opinions in speech, writing, and pictures and to inform himself without hindrance from generally accessible sources. Freedom of the press and freedom of reporting by means of broadcasts and films shall be guaranteed. There shall be no censorship.

(2) These rights shall find their limits in the provisions of general laws, in provisions for the protection of young persons, and in the right to personal honor.

(3) Art and scholarship, research, and teaching shall be free. The freedom of teaching shall not release any person from allegiance to the constitution.
Article 6 [Marriage and the family; children born outside of marriage]

(1) Marriage and the family shall enjoy the special protection of the state.

(2) The care and upbringing of children is the natural right of parents and a duty primarily incumbent upon them. The state shall watch over them in the performance of this duty.

(3) Children may be separated from their families against the will of their parents or guardians only pursuant to a law, and only if the parents or guardians fail in their duties or the children are otherwise in danger of serious neglect.

(4) Every mother shall be entitled to the protection and care of the community.

(5) Children born outside of marriage shall be provided by legislation with the same opportunities for physical and mental development and for their position in society as are enjoyed by those born within marriage.
Article 7 [School education[

(1) The entire school system shall be under the supervision of the state.

(2) Parents and guardians shall have the right to decide whether children shall receive religious instruction.

(3) Religious instruction shall form part of the regular curriculum in state schools, with the exception of non-denominational schools. Without prejudice to the state’s right of supervision, religious instruction shall be given in accordance with the tenets of the religious community concerned. Teachers may not be obliged against their will to give religious instruction.

(4) The right to establish private schools shall be guaranteed. Private schools that serve as alternatives to state schools shall require the approval of the State and shall be subject to the laws of the Länder. Such approval shall be given when private schools are not inferior to the state schools in terms of their educational aims, their facilities, or the professional training of their teaching staff, and when segregation of pupils according to the means of their parents will not be encouraged thereby. Approval shall be withheld if the economic and legal position of the teaching staff is not adequately assured.

(5) A private elementary school shall be approved only if the educational authority finds that it serves a special pedagogical interest or if, on the application of parents or guardians, it is to be established as a denominational or interdenominational school or as a school based on a particular philosophy and no state elementary school of that type exists in the municipality.

(1) All Germans shall have the right to assemble peacefully and unarmed without prior notification or permission.

(2) In the case of outdoor assemblies, this right may be restricted by or pursuant to a law.
Article 9 [Freedom of association]

(1) All Germans shall have the right to form corporations and other associations.

(2) Associations whose aims or activities contravene the criminal laws, or that are directed against the constitutional order or the concept of international understanding, shall be prohibited.

(3) The right to form associations to safeguard and improve working and economic conditions shall be guaranteed to every individual and to every occupation or profession. Agreements that restrict or seek to impair this right shall be null and void; measures directed to this end shall be unlawful. Measures taken pursuant to Article 12a, to paragraphs (2) and (3) of Article 35, to paragraph (4) of Article 87a, or to Article 91 may not be directed against industrial disputes engaged in by associations within the meaning of the first sentence of this paragraph in order to safeguard and improve working and economic conditions.

The German constitution does protect free speech, but not an unconditional freedom of speech. (note: I am not saying this is for the better or worse, I am just pointing this out for the better understanding in the context of this topic for readers that may not be aquainted with the German constitution).

Specifically, it is this one opinion. The reasons for the laws in question can easily be found in German history. The law is meant to prevent people from marginalizing the crimes of Nazi Germany (especially teachers, politicians et.al.) and from publicly belitteling the fate of those who lost friends and family in the holocaust, adding mockery to the pain that has been wrecking the life of more then one generation. It also prevented teachers that were themselfs part of the so called 'Tätergeneration' (Offender-generation) to bury the responsibility of their generation, thus making the accounting of the past mandatory.

You may not agree with this, but there are reasons for this specific case of criminalizing a public opinion.

Sorry, but I have a hard time believing that a player using some infinite wishes trick to get himself rich and powerful at the time of character creation is 'simply mistaken' and honestly believing he did his character according to the usual rules.

Together with the rest of the group or at least the GM, tell him that his character wasn't build following the rules, explain to him the rules he missed or misused and then ask him if he would like to rectify his character or create a new one according to the rules.

I see absolutely no proof that the ausience is more ready to accept APMWLH than female heroes. Catwoman, as your example, did more misogynistic stereotyping than most 'male dominated' superheroe movies out there, I think, and looking at Catwoman or Elektra, I am pretty sure they didn't bomb because they had a female heroe...

(I do agree however, 'not being able to produce a WW movie' isn't something to bash DC when comparing their movie section to Marvel, it is missing the 'Wow!' mark more often then not - Batman triology aside (IMHO) and did like the last two Superman movies, I just didn't think they were half as good as most of the Marvel output.)

I try to go by a few easy rules.
1) Internet is real life. You might not know the people you meet here, but that makes them no less real.
2) Just because I disagree with someone doesn't mean he is wrong. Last time I checked I wasn't omniscient.
3) Just because I don't like something, that doesn't mean it is bad, nor that nobody else has the right to like it.
4) If someone dislikes something I like, he is not necessarily a bad person, nor wrong.
5) I am not here to force-educate anyone. I may explain something that I feel needs to be explained, I may respectfully try to correct someone I think is wrong (if I am fairly sure I know enough about the matter at hand to do so), but I will not throw a fit because somebody doesn't listen to me.
6) I will not take for granted that every bit of information I somehow got my hands onto is right and everything contradicting it is wrong.
7) I know, I can log off at any time.

TheJeff, those are the views that should be able to be discussed. People who think gays should not be allowed around children do not deserve to be hated on message boards. People should be able to have discussions with them. They have that view because it is what they were taught, they had or heard about someone with a particularly traumatic experience, they are conflating gayness with pedophilia, or some other reason.

Also, in individual situations (without power involved), that person's opinions are harmless. As soon as that person has any power (being the head of a school board, a scoutmaster, a priest, a politician, a parent), and uses that power to force everyone to act on their position.
However, these causes of this belief can only be discovered, whatever it might be, if there is respect on both sides of the discussion. It is often out of ignorance that people hold on to lies as fact (that gays are more likely to abuse children), but once rooted, it is hard to force a change of mind. Instead they need need to accept it, something that will not happen when being flamed on a forum.

That sounds great in theory. Now: imagine you are not only a poster on these boards, but also happen to be gay. Then someone is telling you that you should not be around children. How could you for one moment think that this 'other side of the discussion' has any respect for you?

"So I look into myself
Into the days when I was just a child
Come follow me to wonderland
And see the tale that never ends
Don't fear the lion nor the witch
I can't come back
I'm lost but still I know
There is another world"